sheldrake

I just went to see Basil Brush in panto! I know, you wish you were me.

It was Aladdin, which, for those who don't know it, is a brave, searingly honest story of the forbidden love between two women in Imperial China. This play also touches on themes of class prejudice, animal rights and transgender issues, and explores the transitory nature of financial gain (with clever nods to the current crisis). The script is often witty, sometimes moving. We gain a rare insight, for example, into the plight of a widowed cross-dressing laundry worker in Old Peking, and at times feel so involved in the drama that we are tempted to call out, to warn the progagonists of their impending doom.

Best performance of the night must surely go to Mr Brush, that much-lauded classical actor of many years standing, who was a revelation as the Emperor of China. The sheer energy he put into his every action was breathtaking, even when he spent most of the night being wheeled across the stage in a laundry basket on wheels, due to his lack of actual legs. Bravo, sir!

The high-speed car chase went on too long, though.

ETA: sorry, accidentally turned on comment-screening! I was worried that the controversial subject matter might drive you all mad.